Gov’t urged to settle GrabCar, Uber issue – taxi drivers

Taxi Drivers Protest Against GrabCar 1

Taxi drivers are demanding that the government come up with a final decision on whether it will legalise ride-sharing services like Uber and GrabCar here in Malaysia. Should that come true, the taxi group claims that will abolish the taxi industry altogether.

Speaking to The Sun Daily, Klang Valley Taxi Drivers Action Committee (JKBPTLK) chairman Zailani Isa Usuludin said “let’s be clear about it now so that we (cabbies) can switch to becoming a teksi sapu driver, if that’s what the government wants to do by legalising them (Uber and GrabCar) and allowing private vehicles to offer ride services.”

Zailani wants to government to be up front on the matter, whether to bow to public demand in legalising such services. The Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) recently initiated an online survey to garner feedback on taxi services in Malaysia.

The survey revealed that a large majority of respondents were favourable to ride-sharing services. When queried about the SPAD survey, Zailani replied: “if that’s what the public is demanding, the government should just wipe out the taxi industry including taxi companies and legal taxi drivers.”

Malaysia-Taxi-03

He also lambasted a top government official that went for a ride in an Uber vehicle, before endorsing the ride-sharing service. “This is a senior government official giving his approval to illegal taxi services and indirectly asking the public to break the law as Road Transport Department (JPJ) has stated that Uber service is illegal. Is it legal now to use Uber ride-sharing?” Zailani questioned.

However, others view the existence of Uber and GrabCar in Malaysia as a positive. Finance Ministry secretary-general Tan Sri Dr Mohd Irwan Serigar Abdullah had stated, “the existence of an alternative taxi service should not be a problem for taxi operators because users will choose them if they provide better service at reasonable fares.”

He said this during a #MyUberPitch programme held that took place last Friday. He added that Uber’s business would provide opportunities to Malaysians, especially low income earners, to supplement their income, which is in line with the government’s efforts to attain a high-income economy.

The Uber, GrabCar saga has left many taxi drivers disgruntled, with some taking their frustrations to the streets in protest. It has been reported that the SPAD is in process of making amendments to the Land Public Transport Act 2010, which will allow it to take action against the app providers themselves, a move out of the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission’s (MCMC) scope.

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Gerard Lye

Originating from the corporate world with a background in finance and economics, Gerard’s strong love for cars led him to take the plunge into the automotive media industry. It was only then did he realise that there are more things to a car than just horsepower count.

 

Comments

  • siaocom on Dec 09, 2015 at 9:29 am

    Ini mamat lagi. Haiyo….

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 8 Thumb down 0
    • Legalize GrabCar is also good. Then normal taxi can go with GrabCar’s rate.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 15 Thumb down 0
      • Zailani Isa Usuludin on Dec 09, 2015 at 11:24 am

        Saya mengaku, hal sebenar adalah, pemandu teksi teksi saya adalah malas dan tak nak kerja rajin.

        Tidur lambat, bangun lambat. Start pukul 9 pagi. Sebaik start, kami makan nasi lemak selama 1 jam bawah pokok. Lepas itu kami letih, dan kami rehat samapi pukul 12.

        Pukul 12, kami merayap cari passenger. 12.30 kami bersurai untuk makan tengah hari. Lepas makan agak agak puk 2pm, kami rasa letih lagi. Kami parking teksi bawah pokok dan tidur.

        Pukuk 4 kami bangun semula. Cari passenger lagi sampai pukul 6. Hanya dapat 1 passenger sebab peak hour dan terpaksa hantar 1 orang selama 1 jam.

        Lepas itu kami bersurai. Balik rumah

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 27 Thumb down 1
        • badman on Dec 09, 2015 at 2:30 pm

          your narration makes me smile.thanks mate, you made my day :-).

          Like or Dislike: Thumb up 7 Thumb down 0
    • SPAD is the MAIN problem on Dec 09, 2015 at 11:17 am

      Actually, the big problem is SPAD. SPAD is allowing all this protest to go on. Why? Very simple.

      SPAD’s chairman Albar’s wife owns many teksi companies. When Uber and Grabcar came into Malaysia, her companies lost a lot of money and is losing a lot of money.

      So, SPAD, as any husband who is scared of his wife would do, quickly ban Uber and ban Grabcar.

      You see, in Malaysia, there is no such thing as CONFLICT OF INTEREST.

      SPAD is now closing an eye to all this violence and protest because Albar’s wife is not happy with slow business.

      All these violence is approved by SPAD. Infact, it is indirectly sanctioned by SPAD.

      Don’t forget, besides Albar’s wife, ALL the licenses for companies running cabs are all owned by UMNO big boys.
      Nobody can touch them la

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 9 Thumb down 4
    • trollmaster3000 on Dec 09, 2015 at 9:21 pm

      just throw these daylight robbers in an endless pit, like in that 300 movie.. this is SPARTA..!! (case settled)

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 4 Thumb down 0
  • normal citizen on Dec 09, 2015 at 10:26 am

    what a threat on taxi become taxi sapu…. let it be, bring it on chap. beat around the bush doesn’t resolve problem, sit down with respective parties to work out a solution is the best outcome.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 5 Thumb down 0
  • AntiTaxi on Dec 09, 2015 at 10:32 am

    The government have no choice. With the rate of retrenching going on around certain industries, Uber and Grabcar provides these newly unemployed some way of earning income to survive the downturn.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 13 Thumb down 0
  • Niazi on Dec 09, 2015 at 10:49 am

    Dat ugly Dracula faces always so call rascals while got hi dosage of inspirations of tamil movies

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 4 Thumb down 0
  • Jemput turun on Dec 09, 2015 at 10:49 am

    Hapuskan teksi xguna meter

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 5 Thumb down 0
  • venven81 on Dec 09, 2015 at 11:48 am

    these bunch of bugger just don’t wanna budge. why can’t they just go back to their cars and start doing their jobs right? stop this nonsense will they? sigh.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 0
  • DonkeyKong on Dec 09, 2015 at 11:49 am

    Good, this is a good way to get rid of all the middlemen between taxi permit holders and the taxi drivers. The stupid taxi drivers are too dumb to see that if GrabCar is legalized and they can deliver such taxi services, their income could actually become higher without the need to pay all the bloodthirsty middlemen.

    Sigh.. such short-sightedness and stupidity, no wonder they remained as bottom-feeding low-quality taxi drivers..

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 11 Thumb down 0
  • mr1031 on Dec 09, 2015 at 1:30 pm

    you expect gomen to do that??
    gomen can’t even solve your long lasting problem la taxi driver!!

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • bla bla bla on Dec 09, 2015 at 1:36 pm

    shaddap la.. getting tired of this shyt
    instead playing the blaming game and waiting for gov to do something,why dont they just sit down and plan on how to remain competitive and relevant in today biz leh..

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 0
  • Peter on Dec 09, 2015 at 2:05 pm

    I welcome Zailani’s statement on “just wipe out existing taxi industry including taxi companies and legal taxi drivers.” Kindly proceed.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 7 Thumb down 0
  • ben yap on Dec 09, 2015 at 3:18 pm

    talk big only this zailani isa. when comes to those gangster taxi’s controlling shopping malls and hotels, his balls magically shrunk to the size of a pea.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 5 Thumb down 0
  • What about the gov ban the taxi services and replace them with uber and grabcar?

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 4 Thumb down 0
  • sovie on Dec 09, 2015 at 10:09 pm

    What i dont understand is wth are they protestung while other country, eg Singapore and Thailand uber and cab goes hand in hand (btw Thailand have uber motor too!)

    its out cab driver mentality and prob and easily put blame to uber.

    Had they been using metres and abide the law, uber will not be considered by many.

    Hence, doesnt really matter if Malaysia have cab or otherwise.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 0
  • Connie on Dec 09, 2015 at 10:55 pm

    My friend who is a black cab driver joins the uber driver scheme too. So what’s the fuss? He can earn enough to support his family in London and parents back in Morocco. Well he does not have to pay some cronies for license and rental of taxi.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • Arnold on Dec 10, 2015 at 9:01 pm

    GrabCar have increased their fare from RM7 to RM10 – RM12 on peak hours for short distances. Most probably They will increase it more once they have stopped the incentives for GrabCar drivers.
    Hope there ll be no surcharge and surging charges like Uber?

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
 

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